These Are the Democrats Refusing to Donate Weinstein Money (So Far)

A few Democrats have announced they will return donations from Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, but many with White House ambitions have not.

By NTK Staff | 10.06.2017 @10:33am

Following a scathing report from The New York Times about allegations of decades of sexual harassment, film producer Harvey Weinstein has become a pariah in Hollywood and in Democratic circles.

A noted Democratic donor and fundraiser, Weinstein gave thousands to Democratic candidates over the years, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

A few Democrats have decided to give away the money they received from Weinstein, but a notable list has remained mum.

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Al Franken (D-MN) each received thousands from Weinstein over the years. Yet, not one has pledged to give away his money or even speak out about the reprehensible acts Weinstein admits to committing.

The silence from Gillibrand, described as someone who has dedicated “years of work” into “building a pro-woman platform” for Democrats, is both surprising and troubling for some.

Booker introduced a new version of the Equal Rights Amendment in January, a bill designed to “guarantee the equal rights of women under the law,” according to a statement from the New Jersey senator.

The senator whose silence is least surprising of all is Franken, who has received more than $25,000 from Weinstein. Franken has a history of inappropriate comments about women (remarks he calls “jokes”).

Nearly every Democrat tried to capitalize on the Women’s March that coincided with President Trump’s inauguration. But if any of these senators want to reside in the White House, they will need to address the money they accepted from a known sexual harasser.

UPDATE: Booker announced Friday he would donate his Weinstein money to an anti-sexual assault group in New Jersey.

UPDATE II: Gillibrand told BuzzFeed she would donate the $5,000 she received from Weinstein to RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization.